Start of Something New
by xNumberVIII
Summary: Katniss' journey through motherhood and discovering a new love. A remake of my story, "Welcome Home".
1. Chapter 1

"Gosh, I need you, Prim." I whispered softly as I grasped the corners of the sink with my hands. On the edge sat a long, thin white bar of plastic. On that plastic was the symbol that would change everything.

"Katniss? You okay? You've been in there for awhile." Peeta called from outside the bathroom. I jumped and managed to knock the pregnancy test onto the floor, causing me to drop down and knock over the wastebasket.

"Uh...y-yeah. I'll be out in a minute." I replied, trying to hide the shakiness in my voice. I propped the basket back up and grabbed the test. I wrapped it in a sheet of toilet paper and threw it away along with the now crushed-up box it came in. I wanted Peeta to know, but...just not yet. I wasn't ready. I needed to get my thoughts together.

When I opened the door, Peeta was waiting outside.

"Sorry. I could have gone to the other one, but I wanted to kiss you first."

I smiled as Peeta pressed his warm lips against mine before disappearing into the restroom.

_Okay. _I thought.

I sighed as I walked over to the bed and sat down. I knew the consequences that would come after a night of passion, but I didn't think they would come so quickly. It was as if once Peeta and I decided we could try for a baby, that it happened just like that. I thought I'd have more time. I'm not ready to be a mother. I don't even know if I ever will be.

"Peeta, I'm going to go into town for a little bit. I'll be back soon, okay?" I called from behind the bathroom door. He was in the shower, but I'm pretty sure he had heard me.

"'Kay." He called back. "Be careful. I love you."

I put on my coat and just put my hair in a ponytail. I didn't have time to put it into a braid. No, I didn't have the patience. I felt anxious and needed to just get out. I grabbed my bow and arrows by the door and rushed outside, slinging them over my shoulders as I went.

The one person I needed wasn't here in this District anymore. I'm assuming he's still in District 2. I miss Gale, but I just can't forget the incident that killed Prim. He didn't know she'd be there and I know he didn't mean for Prim to die. But things are just too awkward between us. How could I tell him that I was having Peeta's baby?

I walked through town, passing by the hagglers and the shop keepers. People were still struggling here, but not as bad as when I was a teenager. Starvation wasn't as popular of a death like it was when I was a teenager. I sometimes wonder if that were an effect from the Rebellion. I felt some of the shopper's eyes on me and quickly made my way to the woods.

This would always be my home away from home. This was where I could breathe and think. I could always be myself here. I armed myself with my bow and proceeded to look for game.

I came across a deer and it's young. Back in my hunting days, when I had to hunt to survive, this would be an exciting day. But now...it's not the same. With my arrow pointing directly at the young baby, I suddenly came to a realization and dropped my weapon.

_I loved my baby. More than anything._

"So how are things going in District 12?"

I stood in the living room with the telephone pressed against my ear with my shoulder as I wrapped a present for Annie's son. Peeta and I always delivered one every year for his birthday.

"They're fine." I said quietly, securing the package with a strip of tape. "Er...Mom. Can I ask you something?"

"Of course, honey. What is it?" My mother said. I couldn't believe that I was about to ask her for advice. This meant that I actually needed her.

"Is...being pregnant...hard?"

I heard her gasp as she understood what I was getting at.

"Katniss! You're pregnant?"

"Mom..."

She cleared her throat, but I could sense the smile and tears of joy through the cord.

"It isn't easy. But you will get through it just fine. Have you seen a doctor?"

"No." I said. "I'm supposed to go tomorrow, actually."

"That's great. Make sure to get some vitamins. And you need to eat very healthy."

I sighed as she went on, applying the final touches to the now shiny green package.

"How far along are you?"

That question caught me off guard. I had to think. I found out about...ten weeks ago.

"Ten weeks."

"You still haven't seen a doctor! Katniss! You did tell Peeta, didn't you?"

Silence.

"Didn't you! Oh, Katniss. You need to tell him. He'll find out eventually, and then he'll be angry with you."

Just then, Peeta had walked in the door.

"Mom, I'll talk to you later. Peeta just came home."

"I'm not kidding, Katniss. You had better tell him."

"Bye. Love you."

I hung up the phone and proceeded over to my husband, who was covered in flour. I brushed his blonde hair back and peered into his bright blue eyes. Maybe our baby would have those.

"How was work?" I asked softly, bringing a tender kiss to his lips.

"I had a lot of orders to work on. Big ones. But they weren't that bad. Just messy." He smiled and wrapped his arms around me. How long before my thin frame would become a thick one?

"I have our gift ready. For Mr. Odair." I said suddenly. "I didn't really know what to get him but I saw this little statue of a man with a trident and all I could think of was Finnick."

Peeta smiled. "I'm sure he'll love it, since he never got to meet his Dad."

"I'm pregnant." I blurted out suddenly. I covered my mouth with my hands.

Peeta's jaw suddenly dropped as he stammered out, "Wha...what did you say?"

"I'm...we're having a baby, Peeta. We're having a baby."


	2. Chapter 2

"I'm...we're having a baby, Peeta. We're having a baby."

"You're serious?" Peeta asked, his eyes darting to my middle. I blushed and nodded.

"Yes, Peeta. You're going to be a Dad." I couldn't hide my smile. Peeta just had that way of doing that to me.

Before I knew it, Peeta had his arms around me and was crying. He wasn't sobbing, but there were tears expressing his joy. I smiled as he kissed my forehead, then he bent down and kissed my stomach.

"Oh my gosh. This is amazing! When are you due?"

"I don't know. I see the doctor tomorrow." I said softly, touching his cheek.

"I'll come with you. I think the bakery can do without me for a day."

"Are you sure?" I asked. "I mean...it's just the first visit."

Peeta frowned.

"I'm definitely not missing the first chance to see our baby."

I realized then why I loved Peeta the way I did. He had such a good heart, despite the past. He was a wonderful husband to me.

The next morning I felt terrible. It must have been the nerves. The doctor would verify whether I were really carrying a baby. And...even though I was terrified, I hoped it were true. I had already started to picture myself as a mother. I could only hope that I would be a better one than my own. I still love her to this day, but I will never forget when she broke and I was left to pick up the pieces.

"This is it."

"So what do we do? Just sit?" Peeta asked as he looked around. The room was filled with infants, children, pregnant and non-pregnant women and fathers. Would I be as huge as the lady in the yellow with the four kids? Oh, I hope not.

"I'll have to sign in. You can sit though. I'm sure they have something to read." I walked over to the receptionist desk while Peeta made his way to a couple of unoccupied worn red chairs.

"Hi there, I'm Andrea. Is this your first time here?" A tall, very skinny brunette with wide brown eyes said through the glass window.

"Yes, it is." I replied. "I have an appointment at 1 with Dr. Reed." I bit my lip as the receptionist smiled and handed me a clip board.

"Alrighty. Just sign in here," she said, pointing to the line. "And then," she pulled out a clipboard from behind the counter. "just fill these out. Dr. Reed should be ready by the time you're finished."

"Okay. Thank you very much." I smiled and accepted both of the clipboards, signing my name along with the appointment and doctor name on the one.

Katniss Everdeen 1:00 Reed

When I gave that clipboard back, the receptionist seemed surprised.

It took me at least twenty-five minutes to finish that darn paperwork. How much of that would they even read anyway? At least Peeta had a home cooking magazine to keep him busy.

"Katniss...Everdeen?"

Just then, the adults in the room turned to look at me and Peeta, realizing that "The Girl On Fire" was in the doctors office and pregnant. Great, the Mockingjay is reproducing. It only took fifteen years. I only hoped the media wouldn't be alerted. They had left us alone for a long time, but as soon as word would get out about this, who knew what would happen.

I stood up awkwardly, grabbed Peeta's hand, and together we followed the short gray haired lady who called my name into her room. After a series of questions, some tests, and an uncomfortable procedure, we found our baby.

It was so small, but so beautiful. But I wouldn't cry. Peeta was so happy though. He was beaming as he squeezed my hand.

"Aww Katniss. I can't wait to hold it." Peeta whispered. I blinked away the threatening tears and just stared at the screen. The doctor then found it's heartbeat.

"This is a strong one. I can tell." She said. "Definitely a strong one."

I could listen to the heartbeat all day, everyday.

It had been three months. Peeta and I just found out a couple weeks ago that we were having a baby girl. He was so thrilled to find out. He didn't care what we were having. He just wanted that baby. It was so weird to see my stomach protruding out like it was. I had never been a heavy girl, and I wasn't, but I still felt like I was heavy. I could feel her kick and move around every so often now. I first felt it when I was eating breakfast. Unfortunately, Peeta wasn't there for the first time. But everytime he gets a chance, he'll feel her kick and then he'll start talking to her.

"Daddy loves you." He said one night. "Mommy and Daddy love you so much and can't wait to meet you."


	3. Chapter 3

**((I took the part from my other story and made it fit in here. So, I ended up deleting it once I moved it.))**

The baby grew and grew, and the more the baby did, the more I did. And quite frankly, I hated it. Not the baby, but my appearance.

"Hey, your boobs look pretty good." Peeta said as I stood in front of the mirror. I glared at him through the reflection.

"My boobs? Really? Is that all you think about?" I snapped. Peeta frowned and I realized how ridiculous I sounded. He was only kidding.

"I'm sorry. I just...I feel fat. I'm not used to that, y'know?" Peeta nodded and came around to give me a kiss.

"You are still and always will be the most beautiful girl in the world." He said in a whisper, as he tipped my chin up with his hand, forcing me to look into those bright blue eyes of his. Everytime. Everytime I look into his eyes, I lose myself in them.

Sometimes, when I'm sore and aching and Peeta is taking care of me, I wonder how I ever deserved such a sweet man. Peeta would even rub my feet at the end of the day and still have that ever-loving smile on his face.

"Hey, you have a card." Peeta said one day as he went through the mail. He handed me a yellow envelope that had "Catnip Mellark" on it, with the return address blank. Of course, I knew who it was. And even in my surprise, I couldn't help but to smile. I quickly tore open the envelope and took out the card inside. It was a congratulations card with a happy family on it and some sentimental saying inside. But what I really jumped to was the message added in.

_Catnip,_

_I saw your mother a few weeks ago and she told me you were expecting. Took you long enough. Anyway, I'm happy for you and wish you the best. Stay healthy._

_Gale_

Stuck to the card was a folded up bill that, I'm assuming, was meant to buy things for the baby. I took it off and tucked the card neatly inside a desk in the livingroom.

"From Gale?" Peeta asked. I nodded and told him about the card. "This is a lot of money. He must have a nice job where he's at."

"That was really nice of him. I wish he would have left a return address so I could at least write him a thank you note." I said with a sigh. I rubbed my belly as I thought about what he said.

_Stay healthy._

He must think we're back here starving like when we were kids. We may not live like kings, but things are better than when I was a teen. Before The Hunger Games. I shook the thought from my head and started to make dinner for Peeta.

The ninth month had approached. I was huge, or so I felt. Everyone else I saw told me I looked good, but I think they only told me that to make me feel better.

"Katniss?"

I groaned as Peeta whispered my name in the dark.

"What?" I asked groggily. It had to have been 3 in the morning.

"Did you pee the bed?"

My eyes were suddenly open as I turned to Peeta.

"No..., wh-,"

And then it dawned on me.

"My water broke." I said simply. It was amazing how calm I was. I lifted the blanket off of my body and sure enough, there was a huge spot where I had leaked. Peeta had already jumped out of bed and grabbed the phone. By the time he called the doctor and started to explain, I had my first contraction.

"OH!" I groaned, grasping the sheets. Peeta looked over at me wide-eyed, like one of the deer I had shot in the meadow so many years ago.

"Katniss, are you okay? The doctor will be here soon."

I bit my lip as I dealt with the pain.

"Yeah..., I'm..okay." I said.

It was twenty minutes before the doctor arrived. He helped get everything set up with Peeta for the delivery and gave me some medicine to help with the pain, which didn't seem to help too much. But I was in The Hunger Games. Surely I could deal with a birth.

But five hours of pain was not as easy as I had thought. My contractions were so close, it was now time for me to begin pushing. I took in a deep breath and begin to push as Peeta counted to ten.

"Ahhh!" I yelled. This pain was unbearable. How did mother's have so many children? This was like nothing I had ever experienced before. And again and again did I have to repeat the pushing, until finally, she was out.

""It's a girl! Katniss, it's a girl!" Peeta was smiling from ear to ear as he leaned over the hospital bed to plant a tender kiss on my lips. "Can you believe it! She's here!"

I was drained. I had never felt so exhausted in my life. Even with what I've faced in the past, what I just endured could not compare. It was awful. But then...I heard her. Her sweet cry, a signal of life.

The doctor had taken her away to be cleaned and measured. Peeta was over across the room watching our daughter and I could see the tears in his eyes. He was so proud. Before I knew it, she was placed in my arms.

It was awkward. I had never held a baby. Not like this. She was so fragile, so tiny. So...beautiful. I felt the tears begin to fall from my eyes as I held our little girl to my chest, cradling her and studying her features. She had my eyes, which were so new and vibrant, and her hair looked dark. But in the face, she is all Peeta. A replica of her father. I touched her little nose and smiled as she started blowing bubbles.

"We make a cute baby, don't you agree?" Peeta said, brushing my hair back. I could only smile as I kissed him.

The fear set just a little bit later. My daughter was no longer safe inside my womb. I could no longer protect her inside me. Anything could happen now. I had to do whatever I could to protect her.

"Welcome home, little one." I whispered to our daughter. After two days, once we we had everything taken care of and I was able to walk, Peeta and I took her to the nursery, which was decorated green. On the table beside the window was a vase of primroses. Peeta must have placed them there while I was sleeping because he never left my side unless it was to get me something. I bit my lip as I carried our daughter to the window. I picked a flower and let her smell it.

"Auntie Prim will always be watching over you." I said softly. I put the rose back in the vase and sat in the rocking chair. I held our daughter as Peeta helped unpack the baby's things and sang softly to her until her dark gray eyes closed into a soft slumber.

"Real or not real?" I asked Peeta a short moment later in a whisper. He turned to look at me and grinned.

"Real."

**The End. **


End file.
